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Shepherd's Bush

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In April 1997, I received an e-mail from Scott C. Sickles, a Forsterite who happened to run across this site. He had written a play based upon some events in EMF's life, called Shepherd's Bush, and wrote telling me about a scheduled reading of it in New York City. I posted the information of the performances, since other Forsterites might find it of interest. Scott provided me with the following information. (Note: I have not seen or read the play in any form, so I cannot give it any kind of 'approval,' or an honest opinion as to whether I like it or not. So this page is not an endorsement, but simply a source of information. Scott sent me a copy of his play, but I haven't had a chance yet to read it.) :-)

Update (January 2004): Scott e-mailed me to inform me that his play was just read again in NYC this month. If he sends me any more details, I'll post them here.


Shepherd's Bush by Scott C. Sickles

A staged reading directed by Michael Montel
April 1997, New York City

Cast (in order of appearance):

Bob Buckingham Gregory Sims
May Buckingham Ali Hayden
J. R. Ackerly David Cheaney
E. M. Forster Don Wadsworth
Lily Forster Patricia O'Connell
   
Stage manager Sam Turich
Lighting designer Jane Mariani
   
Produced by Marty Productions  

Brief synopsis

    In 1930, at the age of 51, writer E. M. Forster meets and falls in love with Bob Buckingham, a handsome, much younger policeman. Though the romance blooms over the next year, pressure comes from Forster's mother Lily to lead the straight and narrow life, from their friend J. R. Ackerly to embrace the romance more fully and "matrimonially," and from society to renounce their lifestyle or be jailed. As a result, Bob meets May Hockey, a young nurse and begins a courtship that naturally causes a rift in his relationship to Forster. Even after Bob marries May, Forster pursues in keeping the romance alive, creating an antagonism between himself and his rival May. May and Ackerly have formed a close bond and Ackerly tells her that Forster has feelings for Bob, although she can not believe any feelings beyond friendship are being reciprocated. After May names her and Bob's baby after the two men, Forster ends the romance. He decides to come clean with May about the affair, but instead chooses to embark on a friendship with her instead. The play jumps from 1933 to 1967, where Forster leaves for a writers conference in India. When May reveals that she knows about Forster's homosexuality, Bob overreacts. After all these years, May realizes the truth about her husband and their friend and confronts Bob. Almost three years later, Forster returns to England to find out why his two closest friends have not written to him during his entire time away. He and Bob get into a confrontation during which Forster has a stroke. He passes on during the night. Bob and May hold a memorial in his honor, spreading his ashes into the rosebush that had become emblematic of Forster and Bob's love for each other.

Production history

    Shepherd's Bush was first developed in Carnegie Mellon Drama's Theatre Lab in 1995. The playwright met with actors Christian Borle (Forster), Greg Sims (Bob), Ali Hayden (May/Lily), and Michael J. McEachran (Ackerly) under the direction of Michael Beh. The first drafts of scenes from the play were read and discussed. Arthur Giron was the academic advisor.

    That summer, Shepherd's Bush was selected to be part of Carnegie Mellon Drama's 1995 Showcase of New Plays' Monday Night Reading series, where four new plays were given sit-down staged readings. Paul Zablocki directed. The case was as follows: Don Wadsworth (Forster), Zach Shaffer (Bob), Wendy Jones (May), William C. Kovacsik (Ackerly), and Patricia Paton (Lily). The reading was attended by a record-breaking number of people for the series and was met with a standing ovation.

    The following summer, Carnegie Mellon Drama's 1996 Showcase of New Plays selected Shepherd's Bush as part of its mainstage season in the Kresge Theatre. Seth Gordon directed with the following cast: Don Wadsworth (Forster), Gregory Sims (Bob), Ali Hayden (May), David Cheaney (Ackerly) and Patricia Paton (Lily). Patty Kelly was the stage manager, assisted by Garrett McKechnie. Set consultant was John Williams. Lighting design was by Jyle Nogee. Sound design was provided by Alicia Allen. The play received standing ovations after each of its two performances. Audience members ranged in age from 16-year-old pre-college students to theatre-goers in their eighties. Several patrons who saw the first performance brought friends and relatives to the second.

    The most recent incarnation, detailed at the top of this document, occurred March 26 and 27, 1997, at the Miranda Theatre in New York City. The ground plan was by Michael Montel. The lighting design was by Jane Mariani. The sound design was by Scott Sickles, with help from Michael Clark. Lights were operated by Tracie Black; sound by Lori Faiella. The audiences were very enthusiastic. Champagne receptions followed each performance where people spoke very favorably about the play. Hopefully, production venues will germinate from this performance.

Shepherd's Bush is a work of fiction. Characters and events in Shepherd's Bush are either a product of the author's imagination or are used ficticiously.


About the playwright

    Scott C. Sickles received his Master of Fine Arts degree in Playwriting from Carnegie Mellon Drama, where he received productions of his plays Hairdresser on Fire and Falling to Earth which earned him the Mary Marlin Fisher Award for playwriting. He is a member of Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas and the Dramatist Guild Inc. His New York credits include: Shepherd's Bush (Marty Productions), Hairdresser on Fire (Dramatists Guild), The Harmonic Convergence (Ensemble Studio Theatre), Panic (Primary Stages' American Myths Project), and two productions of Murmurs (Love Creek / Pittsburgh New Voices / Samuel French, Inc.), which has been published in Samuel French's Festival Plays #21. Scott has been produced extensively in Pittsburgh and as far away as California. Shepherd's Bush enabled him to receive a 1996 Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Fellowship in Playwriting. He was also named Oustanding Playwright of the 1996 Pittsburgh New Works Festival for The Harmonic Convergence.

    Scott has also taught playwriting at Carnegie Mellon University, at the Sunday Night Live play reading series, and through his company Pittsburgh New Voices. He is currently working on several projects, including Lightning From Heaven, which is about the romance between Boris Pasternak and Olga Ivinskaya, who inspired the character Lara in Dr. Zhivago.

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Content last modified 21 January 2004, 01:48 PDT.
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